DEF CON 29 · United States · 2021

DEF CON 29 Badge

RP2040 New Normal macro-pad badge

An MK Factor official DEF CON 29 electronic badge built around Raspberry Pi's RP2040, a 1.8-inch LCD, six-button D-pad surface, SAO connectors, USB-C, speaker, coin-cell plus USB power behavior, UF2 firmware updates, HID macro-pad mode, and a New Normal challenge path.

DEF CON United States Electronic Badge RP2040 Macro Pad LCD SAO USB HID Badge Challenge North America

EventDEF CON 29

SeriesDEF CON

LocationBally's and Paris, Las Vegas, Nevada

CountryUnited States

People

Authors & Credits

DEF CON 29 badge field reporter

Tom Nardi

Author of the Hackaday hands-on article used for hardware, firmware, and macro-pad behavior details.

Source

badge challenge writeup publisher

Science Viking Labs

Publisher of the writeup used for DEF CON 29 challenge observations, SAO/IR hints, Morse material, and solving-path context.

Source

event and official badge archive publisher

DEF CON Communications

DEF CON's archive establishes the event context, badge links, FAQ path, and post-event material links.

Source

official badge creator

MK Factor

Hackaday and DEF CON forum sources identify MK Factor as the official DEF CON 29 badge creator/manufacturer.

Source

Why It Mattered

It is a key pandemic-transition badge: DEF CON returned to a smaller hybrid Las Vegas event, the badge adopted a modern RP2040 microcontroller just after its launch, and the hardware doubled as a usable USB macro pad after the conference.

Hardware

Hackaday documented the RP2040, six buttons, ST7735S-driven 1.8-inch LCD, speaker, USB-C, Type A and Type B SAO headers, SPI debug pads, flash footprint, potentiometer, and coin-cell constraints. The forum thread documents use of USB power when backlight, sound, and challenge mode exceeded coin-cell expectations.

Software & Apps

Public sources document badge firmware updates via UF2, USB HID keyboard macro-pad behavior, circuitpython-style USB storage/update workflow, and challenge interactions involving role artwork, hints, SAO behavior, IR, serial, Morse, and downloadable clue material.

Lore

The badge framed the event's hybrid pandemic return as The New Normal. Its face resembled a portable game controller, but its enduring post-event identity was a hackable RP2040 macro pad and SAO host with a badge challenge layered across hardware, firmware, and conference lore.

Lifecycle

Add-ons & Upgrades

firmware workflow archived

UF2 firmware update workflow

Forum and field-report sources document firmware updates through USB storage/UF2-style workflows and role-specific challenge firmware behavior.

Compatibility: DEF CON 29 Badge

Source

hardware expansion historical

Dual SAO connector host

The badge exposed both Type A and Type B SAO connectors, with community notes tying SAO behavior and add-ons into the badge challenge trail.

Compatibility: DEF CON 29 Badge

Source

post-event utility historical

USB HID macro-pad mode

Hackaday documented that the badge could identify as a USB HID keyboard and operate as a configurable macro pad after the event.

Compatibility: DEF CON 29 Badge

Source

Operational history

Issues & Camp Impact

challenge-artifact caveat note

Public sources document hardware, firmware updates, SAO/IR hints, serial/Morse material, and solving paths, but this pass does not mirror or audit every firmware image, forum attachment, add-on, or final badge state.

The catalogue records the verified hardware and challenge surfaces while leaving full artifact preservation for a later pass.

Confidence: source-backed but incomplete
Status: needs deeper artifact inventory
Timeframe: current DEF CON 29 pass
Source note: DEF CON forum badge-hacking thread, Hackaday hands-on article, and Science Viking Labs writeup.

missing rights-cleared image note

No local DEF CON 29 badge photo has been added because available article, forum, and writeup images have not been matched with a complete reuse basis, attribution string, and processing record for this catalogue.

The entry remains image-free rather than copying press, forum, or personal writeup photography without provenance.

Confidence: local project policy
Status: needs licensed original replacement
Timeframe: current catalogue build
Source note: badge.gallery image policy, Hackaday article images, forum attachments, and Science Viking Labs writeup images.

Resources

DEF CON 29 InfoconDB record event metadata · InfoconDB source for August 5-8, 2021 DEF CON 29 metadata, Bally's and Paris location context, and official event links. DEF CON 29 badge hacking thread official forum thread · DEF CON forum source for badge power caveats, firmware-update behavior, challenge mode, role artwork, SAO and IR hints, and community solving notes. DEF CON 29 badge writeup challenge writeup · Science Viking Labs source documenting the pre-con clues, challenge hint flow, SAO and IR observations, Morse and serial material, and badge solving path. DEF CON 29 event archive event page · Official DEF CON archive source for the 2021 event, linked FAQ, badge announcement links, post-con material links, and hybrid Las Vegas context. Hands-On: DEF CON 29 Badge Embraces The New Normal field report · Contemporary Hackaday source documenting MK Factor, RP2040 hardware, LCD, buttons, USB-C, SAO connectors, speaker, debug pads, and USB HID macro-pad behavior.

Sources

DEF CON: DEF CON 29 Hacking Conference Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Official event archive source for DEF CON 29 context, FAQ and badge links, and post-con material references. DEF CON Forums: DEF CON 29 Badge Hacking Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Official forum source for firmware updates, power behavior, challenge mode, role art, SAO and IR hints, and ongoing community-solving details. Hackaday: Hands-On: DEF CON 29 Badge Embraces The New Normal Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Contemporary source for MK Factor creator attribution, RP2040 hardware, LCD, button layout, SAO headers, speaker, USB-C, debug pads, and HID macro-pad functionality. InfoconDB: DEF CON 29 (2021) Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Event metadata source for DEF CON 29 dates, Bally's and Paris location context, and official DEF CON links. Science Viking Labs: DEF CON 29 Badge Writeup Retrieved 2026-05-15 · Challenge writeup source for hint pages, SAO and IR observations, Morse and serial puzzle material, and post-event solving details.